Sister of slain Montague woman given probation for shotgun assault

Thursday

Jul 31, 2014 at 9:35 AM

Less than a week after a man was convicted for the murder of her sister, Karlie Pierce was sentenced for a firearm assault.

David Smithdsmith@siskiyoudaily.com

Less than a week after a man was convicted for the murder of her sister, Karlie Pierce was sentenced for a firearm assault. According to District Attorney Kirk Andrus, Pierce was arrested on Dec. 17, 2013, following an incident in which she knocked on the door of a man she knew, pulled out a shotgun and said he was going to pay for what he did to her family. Andrus said that the man diverted the barrel of the gun as Pierce fired. The shot put a hole in the man’s ceiling. On May 6, Pierce pleaded guilty to assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, drawing a potential four-year prison sentence. Having a prior felony in California and two in North Dakota, Pierce would have been ineligible for probation, Andrus said, barring a finding of special circumstances by the judge. Both the probation department – which is tasked with recommending sentences – and the District Attorney’s office argued that Pierce should receive a four year, eight month prison sentence. After reviewing the documents in the case, Judge Karen Dixon decided to grant probation to Pierce, with a “no tolerance” alcohol policy. If the terms are violated, Andrus said, Pierce will face prison time. Having recommended prison initially, the probation department will now prepare a second report with recommended terms for probation. Andrus noted the timing and connections between Pierce’s case and the recently concluded trial of Lukes Ladewig, who was convicted of second degree murder in the death of Katie Pierce. Dixon not only dealt with Pierce’s sentencing but was also the presiding judge in Ladewig’s trial, where the Pierce family watched for weeks as the details of Katie’s death unfolded.“We feel bad for her parents,” Andrus said, calling the Pierces good people who had lost one daughter and then had to sit by as another faced prison time. “It’s our job to treat everybody the same,” Andrus said, noting that the family wanted probation for Karlie Pierce, “but we argued that it was not probation behavior” given the violent nature of the crime, he said. He added that the victim also expressed a desire to see Pierce spend more time incarcerated.Pierce’s probation term will likely be five years, Andrus said, and her formal sentencing has been set for August 28 – the same date set for Ladewig’s sentencing. Ladewig is facing up to 39 years to life in prison stemming from his conviction.